Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver #4

'To think, my angel, this attack began a world away, with a soldier... one infused with your power, able to contain it just long enough to jump the void... slip Magneto's defenses and steal his last wish. From his death battling Uranos... the seeds of his children's defeat were planted. This was not coincidence, but the grand design, and now we reach crusade's end... with the Frightful Four Hundred at my back and out enemies laid low!' the Wizard declares as he hovers above the Caribbean Sea, where he has unleashed a typhoon on an underwater facility. He continues to speak to “his angel” and asks 'Can you see it, from so far away? Nature itself fights for your cause. The Earth and ocean all drill down with verve, and beneath such force... the Maximoff twins will be ground to dust!'

Within that facility, the Vision uses his enhanced strength to hold up a ceiling that has collapsed. Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch knows that this situation is less than idea. The Vision is her ex-husband, and he could become immaterial and escape, but the tons of rubble would fall. Her brother, Pietro a.k.a. Quicksilver could vibrate to safety, but he won't leave without Wanda. 'To hell with the Wizard! No one cages me and lives as a bird for long -' Quicksilver exclaims as he darts about the area, while Wanda tells her brother that the Wizard will pay, but it wasn't the Wizard who got them here, she did, after burning Magneto's letter. 'I read, I reacted...and I was wrong. You deserve to know what he said. It...it's you, Pietro' Wanda begins. She tells Pietro that the closer he gets, the more volatile they get. 'Magneto thinks you bring out my worst... that if we're close for long enough, we'll destroy each other or mutants... or the world. And looking around, as much as I hate it... perhaps Magneto was right' Wanda explains, hanging her head.

'Nonsense. Is that all our so-called father deigned to impart?' Quicksilver frowns. '... No' Wanda admits. She folds her arms as she reminds Quicksilver that Magneto killed him once, and while she knows they have both tried to move on, Magneto has said that he believes Wanda would have been safer if Quicksilver never came back. Quicksilver goes wide-eyed, before uttering '... I see'. Quicksilver shakes this off and points out that he is alive, Magneto is dead, and he refuses to die next to the Vision. 'As a former brother-in-law,  you remain the model of compassion' the Vision states as he continues to hold up the collapsed ceiling. 'I plan to outrace death in perpetuity, not be suffocated by what you consider wit' Quicksilver responds.

Quicksilver turns back Wanda and tells her that he has a long-life of guilting her ahead. 'You'll love it' he claims, before remarking that if they are going to banter forever, there is something she needs to do first. 'The Wizard threw the ocean at us, he dropped the Continental Shelf on our heads. He nearly gutted your beloved brother and your late model ex-husband. How will you answer?' Quicksilver asks. 'What is the Scarlet Witch's response?'

A moment later, and incredible burst of crimson energy rises up through the surface of the water, knocking the Wizard's ship through the air, and the Wizard, who was hovering above his vessel, falls down onto the deck of the ship. 'No – the ocean rejects my will! It's her! The witch! It has to be her! Maximoff... still you fight the end...' the Wizard exclaims. Dozens of the Wizard's Frightful Four Hundred look over to the Wizard, who asks one of them for a status report. The soldier responds by stating that the Hivefeed is spotty, and the oceanic discharge dealt critical damage to the ship. 'As for our numbers... at most, we are now the Frightful Forty'. The Wizard goes wide-eyed and appears deranged as he shouts 'Forty soldiers who best be ready to go down with the ship – understood?' He announces that his angel is coming, that they must prepare the way, because the twins are too dangerous to live. 'Imminence demands their deaths! And I will not fail to -' the Wizard begins, before something – or someone – slaps him.

The Wizard pauses, and touches his jaw before realizing Quicksilver was responsible. 'I am a sworn crusader. I serve the grand design. Do you truly believe a slap could stop me?' the Wizard asks. The Scarlet Witch hovers above, with a cloak forming demon-like wings, and pink energy glowing around her head like a crown, the Scarlet Witch tells the Wizard that the slap is meant to remind him of his place. 'She stops you' Quicksilver smirks. 'Why, Wizard? Why all this? Why turn to an angel after a lifetime of sacrifice?' Wanda enquires. 'Why be stupid enough to come for us?' Quicksilver smiles, while pointing at the Wizard.

The Wizard appears deranged and shouts 'Asked and answered, Witch! You threaten the set path just by existing! This is logic – not faith! You and your brother are born to adapt! You both express the Red Queen hypothesis – each new challenge strengthens you!' Quicksilver speeds about the deck of the ship, knocking over all of the remaining Frightful Four Hundred, while the Scarlet Witch listens to the Wizard, who continues his ravings, claiming that the Scarlet Witch is without limit, and left alive, she endangers the very bedrock of the universe. 'A billion, billions. More. A googolplex of lives to be lost when you shatter creation' the Wizard claims. 'YOUR DEATHS ARE GOOD SCIENCE!' the Wizard booms as he fires a blast towards the Scarlet Witch, who diverts it with ease. 'Our deaths are beyond your talents!' Wanda exclaims.

Quicksilver comes to a stop at his sister's side and asks the Wizard 'Who stole Magneto's letter from Arakko, Wizard?' the Scarlet Witch notes that the Wizard couldn't have done it, he even admitted that. Eyes practically bulging out of his head, the deranged Wizard shouts 'You seek answers? Look up! The raid of your father's keep was divine intervention! She's there! Past the sky, past even Mars! My angel moves not just above us... but below, as well!'

The Vision is elsewhere within the Wizard's vessel, and fires eyebeams at several of the Frightful Four Hundred. 'Fight if you like, but your Hivefeed is an open book to me. And with it, your memories and knowledge of this ship' the Vision declares as he touches one of the synthetic beings and gains their knowledge. The Vision phases into another part of the ship, and realizes that it may be the place where the Wizard communes with his angel. 'I would have a word' the Vision announces. '... and what word would that be, machine?' a voice can be heard responding. 'Fascinating. Interspatial projection, but on a scale that is -' the Vision begins, as the voice interrupts him: 'Vast. I believe that may be your word'.

The Vision looks up and sees a glowing apparition above him. 'Indeed... there is an intriguing depth to your domain. A void...the void left by the last light's dying, with your fingers quelling the wick. We save today, even tomorrow. But at creation's true scale, there is no saving anything' the Vision decides. He knows that time wins and space wins, because every experiment must one day reach its conclusion, and victory is a mortal illusion, anything lasting is a function of mortal perception. 'No one lives long enough to see that on the far shore of Space-Time itself... the end is in fact the truth. Unless -' he begins, as he suddenly realizes something, but before he can state what he was thinking, the being above reaches down and plunges her fingers into the Vision's head. 'That is not for your eyes, machine' she utters.

While the Vision's mind is assaulted by an angel, Quicksilver darts about back up on the deck of the ship, settling some debts, he easily dodges the Wizard's energy blasts. 'Why run, Pietro? Even you can't outrace a lightspeed laser, not yet -' the Wizard exclaims, before Quicksilver speeds over to the Wizard, only to find that he can't breach the madman's force field. 'Nothing in my hand...but pain' the Wizard states as he puts a hand to Quicksilver's chest which knocks Quicksilver backwards in a flurry of flaming energy. Quicksilver screams and Wanda calls out to him, telling him to get into the water. 'Obviously' Quicksilver mumbles as he races off the ship and lands in the water below.

The Scarlet Witch lashes out at the Wizard, knocking him back with a surge of crimson energy as she tells him that she shared his vision, and notes that his angel does wield great power. 'But hurt my brother, and no power can save you from me' she warns him. Within the water, Quicksilver begins to swim swiftly upwards, while the Wizard asks 'Can't it, Witch? Imminence is the end of everything! Creation's final heading! Why go against what will be?' he asks. 'Why refuse the set path? Why fight when the end is foretold? Simple, Wizard – chaos is freedom!' the Scarlet Witch responds as she hurls some energy spikes towards the Wizard, one of which strikes him. 'Chaos doesn't yield' the Scarlet Witch declares, before Quicksilver reaches the surface and returns to the ship, where he slams a fist into the Wizard's face, shattering the madman's helmet.

The Wizard drops to his knees: 'You, but I... I burned you...' he utters. 'And for that, you get a gold star. A fist as well...delivered by several laps through the oceans and the right vibrational touch. Roll back the footage – I promise you'll find some science in there' Quicksilver smirks. The Wizard continues his nonsense though: 'How sad...a victory today, and all to come...will doom the far tomorrow. You can't deny it, Wanda! We both saw the same truth! But I didn't turn away from it!' Wanda slams a hand against the Wizard's head and tells him that she didn't surrender to it. 'Oh no -' the Wizard begins before Wanda seemingly shunts part of the Wizard out of himself. The Wizard slumps to his knees, 'No, this's not...what she showed me...' he gasps. 'Your vision showed you an end, Wizard... all I saw was a challenge!' Wanda exclaims, smiling as tentacles burst up through the deck of the ship and wrap around the horrified Wizard, who is pulled down beneath the deck, while Quicksilver covers his mouth and looks on, wide-eyed.

'Hmm. Was that death or a disappearing act?' Quicksilver asks. 'Banishment' Wanda responds, explaining that she knocked the hope from Wizard's soul and casy him down to a realm where thought attracts tireless swarms of hornets. 'He'll have fun' Wanda jokes, to which Pietro tells his sister that she is amusing when she is biblical. The ship begins to break apart, and Wanda tells Pietro that the Vision is below – and a moment later, Quicksilver holds the Vision in his arms and returns to Wanda's side. 'In hand, albeit in the state of a paper-weight' Pietro notes. Wanda touches the unmoving Vision's head and wonders what did this to him. 'What did he find down there?' she asks. 'Who knows? Except for Four Hundred wrecked drones, this lilting barge is deserted' Quicksilver states, suggesting that they best desert it in turn. 'Next time, Pietro...give me a hard one' Wanda smirks as she snaps her fingers, and the Wizard's ship plummets towards the sea below.

Later, at the Vision's home in Arlington, Virginia. Wanda tells the Vision to take it slow, that he is home and safe. 'Wanda... I gather the Wizard is beaten, then? What of Pietro?' the Vision responds. Wanda informs the Vision that Pietro and Monet are celebrating their survival in their own uniquely lavish way. Indeed, at that moment, a shirtless Pietro reclines on a chair on a balcony, while Monet St. Croix sits nearby. Champagne on a table between them, a bedroom can be seen behind the balcony, clothes strewn across the floor, the bed sheets tangled. Back in the Vision's home, Wanda sits next to the Vision and tells him that he was catatonic when Quicksilver found him. 'What happened?' she asks.

The Vision reveals that he met the Wizard's angel, and that his senses were overwhelmed. Wanda tells the Vision that she is sorry, and regrets not going with him. 'No, Wanda. You had your fight – I had to see the creature who so assaulted your life' the Vision explains. The Vision reveals that the angel reached through the void to destroy what he had witnessed – and almost succeeded. The Vision's daughter, Viv, appears in the doorway and the Vision explains that he and Viv are networked, they are each other's backups – cosmic visions included. 'A group chat would be preferable, father. But, yes, I have analyzed your sensory data' Viv responds before stating that Imminence, this angel, will not stop, that it is what will be, and even now, hunts a way here, a cudgel to batter down the door into this universe. 'The end is coming, Wanda. But its desperation is telling. It fears you' Viv explains.

'Me and Pietro...' Wanda remarks, her voice trails off, before she smiles and thanks Viv and then the Vision. The Vision stands up and tells Wanda that it is he who should thank her, as this angel left him in shock, and she guided him back to awareness. 'You've mended my wounds too often, Vizh. You risked yourself...just to bring me intelligence on a far-off threat. Like you told Pietro – we're family. That will never change' Wanda responds as she kisses the Vision's cheek. Wanda turns to Viv and asks her to keep an eye on her father. 'I can't think of better hands to leave him in' she adds. 'Of course, Wanda. But what of you?' Viv responds. Wanda smiles as she heads for the door and announces that she has an angry angel on the horizon, so there is plenty of work for her to do.

Weeks later, Wanda and Pietro walk through a lush forest, and Pietro tells his sister that she did not need to do this, that he is fine – he has repeatedly said so. 'And you only waste time repeating yourself when you're lying' Wanda tells her brother. 'How dare you? I have never told a lie in my life. The very idea of it!' Pietro exclaims, before remarking 'Yes, Magneto was cruel...and water is wet. I haven't given it a second thought'. Wanda smiles as she asks her brother how many times he has actually thought about it. '... a hummingbird's heart beats 1,200 times a minute. My brain works even faster' Pietro smiles. Suddenly, Wanda looks up and sees Magneto descending towards her and Pietro. 'Wanda, you may be my rage interpreter' Pietro scowls.

Minutes later, Wanda stands with Magneto, while Quicksilver has moved several feet away from them and folds his arms, scowling. The substance Iozium can be seen behind Wanda as she urges Magneto to talk to Pietro. 'You've been given a fresh chance at life – don't start it with spite' she suggests. Magneto tells Wanda that the spite was not of his doing, and reminds Wanda that the note was stolen, his last words were weaponized. 'They were still your words... and you must own them' Wanda points out. Quicksilver tells Wanda to relax, and asks what their beloved “father” could possibly do. 'Kill me?' he jokes. 'Always on the attack. We're more alike than you'll ever admit. But in my absence... I wished only to protect you. To protect Wanda from you and you from yourself' Magneto explains as he walks over to Pietro.

'I have watched you for years, Pietro. You push Wanda. You cloud her logic. You have only ever endangered her. And she coddles you... enables your worst impulses' Magneto suggests. Magneto admits that he is sure his words hurt Pietro, and claims that they hurt him as well. 'I hate having written them. But their truth remains, no matter how cruel. Wanda is safer without you... and I do not believe you deserved resurrection' Magneo declares, hanging his head. Pietro looks shocked, before smirking and remarks 'Yes, well. I'd tell you the same'. Pietro then hugs Wanda and tells her that she knows where to find him. 'I always make time... for family'. He leers at Magneto, then races away.

'As an adult... and a father, in time, he will understand' Magneto suggests. 'Perhaps he shouldn't. You're wrong about us. Together, yes... we're chaotic. But we're stronger too. We do what we're meant to. We break rules. We do not yield' Wanda declares. She smiles as she announces that they do what the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were born to do – what they always do – the impossible.